Talent Acquisition & Candidate Pipeline

Retention

ByNica Siegert

1. Candidate Experience: Recruiter-Candidate Dynamic

2. Direct Consequences

3. The Gap between Talent Acquisition & Candidate Pipeline

4. How to bring the two together: The Bridge

5. Why are these things important to the industry?

6. Metrics Example: How do the results calculate for individual

recruiters

Content

There has been a continued misperception present in the dynamics of recruiting staff and candidate pipelines. Candidate main cause for concern:

CANDIDATE PERSPECTIVE

Recruiter reaches out only when he ‘needs’ the specific candidate for a

submittal

Recruiter limits assessing the candidate based on the client’s requirement

Recruiter does not follow up appropriately during the necessary process steps,

i.e. notifying candidate of feedback once received-positive or negative, forget

to circle back with candidate entirely, forget candidate’s name after submittal

Recruiter exhibits unprofessionalism, i.e. doesn’t return calls, emails, fails to

help candidate feel ‘safe and respected’ during the process

Recruiter is unknowledgeable of candidate’s field and profession, unprepared

to ask appropriate questions, dismissive, incapable of assessing candidates’

potential and experience

>>next “Direct Consequences”

Candidate –Recruiter Dynamics

As a result, a negative connotation is attached to recruiters ability and attitude often resulting in:

CANDIDATE RESPONSE:

Lack of Commitment on part of candidate to the client/agency and position

Disinterest and ‘brush off techniques’ to disconnect conversation about highly

viable opportunities

Work Around via direct application or other ‘trusted’ recruiters for the same

position

Multiple submittals for the same requirements via multiple vendors

ATS driven application spamming for myriad of openings that do not fit

candidate’s profile and experience in the hopes to receive ‘a’ response

Time delayed responses to emails or calls from recruiters reaching out

>>Next “The ‘GAP’”

Direct Consequences

As recruiters, our interest is to increase the bottom line and create a bridge between the client and the candidate. What leads to this disconnect- this ‘GAP’?

Recruiters start their roles with little or no training and learn as they go

Recruiters operate under high sense of urgency, candidates don’t understand

importance of ‘their role’ in this process

Recruiters operate under pressure of high volume without candidates

comprehension of this process

Recruiters often run full life cycle desks from sourcing to onboarding

Recruiters often work in a highly competitive environment not conducive to team

collaboration

Recruiters establish principles of personal customer service expectations based on

their own organization of tasks & experiences, not based on agency rules and

training initiatives

Recruiters are measured by their submittal-to-hire ratio and associated metrics, not

by their customer service skills

Recruiters are well versed in the application, resume building and interviewing

process and assume the same from candidates with little prep or knowledge sharing

>> Next “The Bridge”

The ‘GAP’

How do we build a bridge?

Clearly informing the candidate of the ‘way’ recruiting operates, i.e. sense of urgency and

why-time investment

Communicating to the candidate how to maximize the experience through quick responses,

follow ups, opening the door for candidates to reach out without feeling neglected

Negotiating the ‘best’ means of communication between recruiter and candidate

Keeping in touch with candidates a few seconds a day during the process, and afterward on a

regular basis even when no requirements match

Building an authentic relationship between recruiter and candidate, one in which candidate

feels understood, known, appreciated, and important

Creating a ‘win-win’ relationship that benefits both parties, and in the course the client

Open and honest communication with candidates, feedback on resumes, interviews, and other

feedback helping them improve

Creating a personal touch with each relationship and see the value in an ongoing initiative to

stay in touch, for both sides (candidate referrals, recruiter as an ally)

Evaluation of recruiters by follow up metrics and candidate experience delivery

>> Next “The Bright Side”

The ‘Bridge’

Value add perspective and positive candidate experience:

Candidate will feel more loyalty to specific recruiter/agency based on the

value of their relationship and perceived respect

Long-term successful relationships forge possibilities of business

development with less time investment and foster team collaboration

Positive recognition of recruiters and associated agency will increase

brand value and brand identity

Consistent, effective training implementations will increase initial yield of

recruiting metrics, brand value in the market and lead to positive

recognition of agency imperatives for their own employee development,

potentially reducing turn-over rates

Consistent customer centric initiatives will increase referral percentages

and candidate retention rates

Overall recruiting process becomes more streamlined and improves time

management investments and prioritization

Recruiters increase their networks quickly leading to large pipelines

The Bright Side

Results may vary, but here are one individuals current metrics. Associated network increased by 94.2 % in the course of 18 monthsExisting network is compiled of:

~34% solid &authentic industry connections (high loyalty and support) in focus areas

~25% acquainted but committed connections (willing to refer or introduce or otherwise engage) in focus area

~18% solicited profile connection for help during job search or business initiative (nationwide)

~9% of connections are nationwide unrelated to focus area, leading to additional referrals of newcomers into location focus area

~4% constitute viable referrals to help other industry specialists outside of focus industry/specialty achieve their goals

(results calculated from LinkedIn & other SM connections within 18 month duration in IT recruiting)

Example Result